USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2019 Subaru Outback

Research the 2019 Subaru Outback using available NHTSA owner complaints, safety recalls, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and CarIQ data-coverage analysis.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Moderate

Owner complaints

1,033NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

3Year, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

SUBJECTIVE OWNER FEEDBACK

OWNER EXPERIENCE

What it is like to live with the vehicle—kept clearly separate from official NHTSA evidence.

BUILDING THE COMMUNITY

THE FIRST USEFUL PERSPECTIVE COULD BE YOURS

No approved owner experiences yet.

Contributions are collected carefully and only appear here after moderation. No placeholders, sample testimonials, or invented sentiment.

OWNED THIS CAR?

Help the next buyer understand the real ownership experience.

Share what you liked, what could be better, and whether you would choose it again. Every contribution is moderated before publication.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE 2019 Subaru Outback
INDEPENDENT EVIDENCE TYPES

NHTSA owner complaint records remain part of Official Vehicle Data. Subjective review contributions remain in Owner Experience. One does not validate or prove the other. Read the methodology.

EVIDENCE, NOT A SCORE

WHAT THIS DATA CAN TELL YOU ABOUT RELIABILITY

Official records can provide useful research context, but each source has a different meaning. Complaint counts are not failure rates; recalls are formal safety campaigns; manufacturer communications are technical or service documentation; and investigations reflect formal NHTSA activity. Data Confidence measures evidence availability, not vehicle quality. CarIQ does not publish a composite Reliability Score.

Available evidence summary: 1,033 NHTSA owner complaint records; 3 safety recall campaigns; 0 manufacturer communications; 0 applicable NHTSA defect investigations.

EVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY

DATA CONFIDENCE

Moderate

Data Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.

Why this rating?
Owner complaint data
Available
Manufacturer communications
Available
Recall data
Available
Investigation data
Available
Production denominator
Unavailable
Complaint component completeness
100%
Mileage completeness
0%
Incident-date completeness
100%

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

DATA INSIGHTS

Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.

Complaint records analyzed
1033
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Electrical System
35% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
80%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
3
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
July 29, 2021
NHTSA recalls
Manufacturer communications
0
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Most documented component
Not available
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Top-three communication concentration
Not available
Share of categorized manufacturer communications

SOURCE COMPLETENESS

DATA QUALITY

Complaint records analyzed
1033
Component classification available
100%
Incident date available
100%
Mileage available
0%
Structured outcome fields available
100%

Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.

Learn about CarIQ methodology

PRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC

NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT

Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.

This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.

It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.

OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA

PROBLEMS REPORTED IN NHTSA RECORDS

CarIQ groups available NHTSA owner complaint records for the 2019 Subaru Outback by vehicle system to make recurring documentation easier to research. Most represented complaint categories describe the retrieved records—not failure frequency.

TOTAL COMPLAINTS1033

MOST REPRESENTED COMPLAINT CATEGORIES

Electrical System363 complaints
35%of categorized complaint records
Visibility/wiper326 complaints
32%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other204 complaints
20%of categorized complaint records
Visibility63 complaints
6%of categorized complaint records
Engine39 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Forward Collision Avoidance36 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Steering35 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Structure27 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control26 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System23 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes22 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Lane Departure18 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Power Train15 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Air Bags13 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Exterior Lighting11 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Back Over Prevention9 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Fuel System9 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Gasoline9 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Suspension7 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Equipment6 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Seats5 complaints
0%of categorized complaint records
Latches/locks/linkages4 complaints
0%of categorized complaint records
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)3 complaints
0%of categorized complaint records
Seat Belts2 complaints
0%of categorized complaint records
Tires2 complaints
0%of categorized complaint records
Wheels2 complaints
0%of categorized complaint records
Air1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Insert1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Padding1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records

A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.

INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR

2018
15
2019
183
2020
214
2021
188
2022
156
2023
131
2024
92
2025
43
2026
11

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Electrical System · Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11761781
Read complaint narrative

The Starlink infotainment touchscreen in my 2019 Subaru Outback Touring has progressively failed. Visible bubbles have formed under the glass, consistent with screen delamination. The screen registers phantom inputs on its own without being touched ("ghost touch"), changing settings, and interrupting functions while the vehicle is being driven. The touchscreen has now become completely unresponsive to actual touch input. Because the head unit controls and displays the backup camera, this failure interferes with the rear visibility display when reversing, creating a safety concern. The ghost inputs also present a driver distraction while the vehicle is in motion. I first documented this problem and presented the vehicle for service at a dealership in April 2025, maybe even prior, and I have dated video documentation showing the progression of the failure since then. The condition has worsened over time regardless of weather, though symptoms intensify with heat and sun exposure. The failure also disables hands-free operation, including Bluetooth phone connectivity, voice commands, and navigation control. Functions designed to be operated hands-free while driving now cannot be used at all, which encourages manual phone handling for navigation and calls - defeating the vehicle's built-in distraction-prevention systems. I am aware this failure pattern (delamination, ghost touch, and unresponsiveness in Starlink units) is widely reported by other owners of 2019–2023 Subaru vehicles. No warning preceded the failure, and the vehicle has not resolved with restarts. Current mileage approximately 134,XXX. Failure began at approximately 60,XXX miles ~ November 2024.

Service Brakes · Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11756599
Crash reported
Read complaint narrative

My complaint/safety issue is that while I was in my 2019 Subaru Outback, I experienced Unintentional acceleration. While waiting for the large chain-link fence at my storage unit to open, the Outback raced into the gate! I had one foot on the brake waiting for the gate, then I stomped the pedal with both feet, and I held that position while the car smashed through the gate. This happened in July of 2021. I don't recall if I shut the car off or if it just finally came to a stop. I was terrified to drive it for fear of it happening again, but this time hitting a person in a crosswalk! I did take the car to Subaru, and they said that they would go through it thoroughly. After one month, they said that there were no issues with the car and that my carpet must have caused the acceleration. I reminded them that my car had floor mats that clicked into place! It was a nightmare. Even big wigs from Headquarters called me to explain this was a one-time thing and mentioned the floor mats again! I hope no more people are injured by the corrupt managers.

Visibility

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11754601
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH the front windshield cracked approximately 6 inches from the heat sensor, no warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted however the vehicle was not diagnosed as the contact was advised that the vehicles VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,250.

Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11751582
Read complaint narrative

Driver controls for windows do not work for front windows .. Can not put windows down. Therefore if window on passenger side or driver side gets foggy, can not lower to see out Dealer has stated that there is dirt in window. Not dirt , bad window motor per my experience. This has been occurring for about 2/3 years.

Unknown or Other

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11748449
Read complaint narrative

The touch screen monitor which controls the audio system, navigation, phone, and other car systems has delaminated. It turns on and off, makes phone calls, switches car systems like the audio, and turns off navigation. At best, it is a very annoying distraction. At worst, it is a safety issue when the screen is making emergency phone calls, canceling navigation, or turning on and off constantly and beeping and causing distraction to the driver. It is possible to turn the entire screen off, but it then randomly comes back on. A safety recall has been issued for 2018 but not 2019 Subaru Outbacks. I strongly urge you to consider a safety recall for the 2019 Subaru Outback as the very common screen delamination is widely known and causing issues for many Subaru drivers. The issue began in the summer of 2025 and has continued to be an issue, and is getting worse.

Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11748189
Read complaint narrative

CAR WOULDN'T START IN PARKING LOT, 40K MILES. I NEVER TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER AND RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT A FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT/RECALL/REPAIR. I DIAGNOSED THIS PROBLEM MYSELF. THE VIN LOOKUP ON SUBARUS WEBSITE SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED/REPAIRED WHEN IT CLEARLY WAS NOT AND I NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAPERWORK OR VERBAL STATEMENT FROM SUBARU SAYING THEY PERFORMED THAT WORK WHEN I WENT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE OR TO REPAIR THE BATTERY PROBLEM. THE BATTERY STILL DRAINS EXTREMELY FAST AS WELL. SO NEITHER THE BATTERY CHARGING WORK, OR THE ***SUPPOSED AND UNVERIFIED*** FUEL PUMP WORK HAVE BEEN DONE ON THIS CAR. NOT GOOD. ALSO - THE ORIGINAL SUBARU EL CAJON DEALERSHIP CLOSED AND THEN REOPENED WITH "NEW OWNERSHIP" AS A SUBARU DEALERSHIP. THIS ALL APPEARS EXTREMELY CROOKED.

Electrical System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11746098
Read complaint narrative

Vehicle battery continues to drain. Since I have owned the vehicle, it has had 4 batteries. It has had 2 batteries within the last year and half. Installed another battery a 2 weeks ago, vehicle was completely dead after a week of not driving. The last 3 batteries were all purchased (or warranty replaced, new. All forums are pointing to DCM for other years. Yet, 2019's have the same issue, and I haven't received any service bulletin regarding such issues. I presume they need to have a certain number of complaints before action is taken.

Air Bags · Seat Belts

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11744208
Crash reported1 reported injury
Read complaint narrative

The driver lost control of the vehicle, possibly due to a failure involving the rear driver's-side tire. The vehicle initially made contact with the guardrail, causing moderate damage to the driver's side. Following this impact, the vehicle began to fishtail, and the automatic braking system activated. The driver recalls being thrown about within the seat during the incident, as the seat belt's emergency locking retractor appeared to fail. The seat belt did not lock during the collision sequence, which is supported by the absence of visible bruising across the chest area. Prior to the vehicle's final impact with the embankment, the seat belt unexpectedly released and struck the driver on the right cheek, resulting in visible bruising. Upon the final impact, after the seat belt had released, the driver was lifted from the seat and struck her head against the door frame. The vehicle's airbags did not deploy at any point during the crash. There were no warning messages, alerts, or noticeable symptoms indicating a mechanical issue prior to the incident. The vehicle has since been towed to a local body shop for a damage assessment and further inspection.

NHTSA complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.

A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.

Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.

OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA

SAFETY RECALLS

3 recall campaigns found

01FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPCampaign 21V587000July 29, 2021

Summary

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Safety Consequence

Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

02FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPCampaign 20V218000April 16, 2020

Summary

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

Safety Consequence

If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

03STRUCTURECampaign 19V493000June 26, 2019

Summary

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.

Safety Consequence

In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA

MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS0

No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.

Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.

Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communications

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS

TOTAL INVESTIGATION RECORDS0

No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.

NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.

Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.

View official NHTSA investigation data ↗

DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP

CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA

CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.

ComponentOwner complaintsManufacturer communicationsRecall campaignsNHTSA investigationsOfficial sources containing records
Structure270102 of 4
Electrical System3630001 of 4
Visibility/wiper3260001 of 4
Unknown or Other2040001 of 4
Visibility630001 of 4
Engine390001 of 4
Forward Collision Avoidance360001 of 4
Steering350001 of 4
Vehicle Speed Control260001 of 4
Fuel/propulsion System230001 of 4

Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.

complaint
Available
communication
Available
recall
Available
investigation
Available
production
Unavailable

COMMON RESEARCH QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK

Is the 2019 Subaru Outback reliable?

CarIQ does not currently assign a reliability score to the 2019 Subaru Outback. Available evidence is shown as separate official-source records with a Data Confidence classification of Moderate.

What problems are reported for the 2019 Subaru Outback?

1,033 NHTSA owner complaint records. When complaint data is available, the page groups records by the NHTSA component categories they identify without treating those categories as verified failure rates.

Are there recalls for the 2019 Subaru Outback?

3 safety recall campaigns. Year, make, and model results do not confirm whether a specific VIN is affected or whether a remedy has been completed.

USED-CAR CANDIDATE RESEARCH

Considering buying a 2019 Subaru Outback?

Enter the mileage and asking price to review Is This A Good Car?'s available evidence for the specific candidate. No buy/no-buy or pricing judgment is produced. Open the full research tool.